The King Tide event that started during the previous period came to an end during the first part of the week. The Charleston Harbor tidal gauge reported a tide of 7.41 ft MLLW on the morning of Monday, December 6, and shallow flooding in low-lying areas of the South Carolina coast occurred through Wednesday morning. Monday was a warm and breezy day ahead of the approaching cold front, as temperatures climbed from the 40s to daytime highs in the upper 60s to mid-70s. The National Weather Service (NWS) stations at the Columbia Metropolitan and Florence Regional airports recorded wind gusts of 24 mph. The front pushed through the state by Tuesday morning, bringing cooler weather and another chance of rain over the region, with highs in the upper 50s to low 60s and lows in the 40s and 50s.
Rain chances increased on Wednesday as a low-pressure system developed over Georgia, the first chance for significant rain during the period. By midnight, rainfall totals ranged from a third of an inch at the Clemson Oconee County Airport to almost two inches at the Charleston International Airport. Temperatures were up to ten degrees below normal with highs in the upper 40s to low 50s and lows in the mid-30s to mid-40s. Dense fog developed on Thursday morning, thanks to the rainfall on Wednesday, and visibilities were reduced to less than a quarter a mile in a portion of the Midlands and Pee Dee. Cool temperatures and periods of light rain continued into Thursday and lingered in much of the state through Friday. Locations outside of the influence of the wedge of cold air saw high temperatures reach the 60s.
The cold front that spawned severe weather and multiple tornadoes in Kentucky and Tennessee pushed through the state Saturday evening. While the rain was heavy at times, the line of storms did not bring any significant severe weather to the Palmetto State. Rainfall totals were up to half an inch. Ahead of the front, temperatures rose into the mid-70s and low 80s, nearly fifteen degrees above normal in some locations, making it one of the top five warmest December 11ths on record across the state. Behind the front, dry conditions but seasonable temperatures returned for the end of the period.
(Note: The highest and lowest official temperatures and highest precipitation totals provided below are based on observations from the National Weather Service (NWS) Cooperative Observer network and the National Weather Service's Forecast Offices.)| Weekly* | Since Jan 1 | Departure | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anderson Airport | 1.04 | 44.77 | 1.2 |
| Greer Airport | 1.07 | 47.19 | 0.4 |
| Charlotte, NC Airport | 0.97 | 34.50 | -6.8 |
| Columbia Metro Airport | 1.73 | 45.51 | 2.7 |
| Orangeburg Airport | 0.53 | 36.91M | -4.6M |
| Augusta, GA Airport | 1.97 | 51.13 | 9.6 |
| Florence Airport | 1.47 | 40.37 | -2.6 |
| North Myrtle Beach Airport | 1.36 | 43.83 | -2.7 |
| Charleston Air Force Base | 2.13 | 57.49 | 7.1 |
| Savannah, GA Airport | 0.42 | 48.32M | 2.2M |
| *Weekly precipitation totals ending midnight Sunday. M - denotes total with missing values. |
4-inch depth soil temperature: Clinton: 52 degrees. Columbia: 60 degrees. Barnwell: 55 degrees. Mullins: 51 degrees.
After weeks of dry conditions, appreciable rain fell across the Palmetto State during the period, with most of the region receiving at least half an inch of rain. Some locations in the Central Savannah River Area and the Midlands measured over two inches of rain. Many stations across the state recorded more rainfall during this period than they did for the entire month of November. The Columbia Metropolitan Airport recorded 1.73 inches, which was just 0.03 inches shy of the rainfall total from October and November. The National Weather Service station at the Florence Regional Airport measured 1.47 inches, over double the 0.45 inches it received in November.
Despite the rainfall across the state, streamflow values across all four major watersheds continued to be below normal. Gauges along the streams and tributaries of the Great Pee Dee, Santee, and Wateree rivers saw an increase in flows, but the values continued to remain well below normal for this time of year. The gauges on the Little Pee Dee near Galivants Ferry, the Black River near Kingstree, and the Waccamaw near Longs recorded streamflows less than 10% of normal values. The rainfall did little to alleviate the United States Drought Monitor severe drought designation (D2) in areas along the Pee Dee and Wateree watersheds. All the rivers in the state recorded heights below the flood stage during the period.
